Gilgamesh
| faction= | ageoftga= }} Gilgamesh was a conqueror from the First Age who was locked in stasis until he awakened in Ciano in the Third Age. He served as the Captain of the Barjassil Royal Guard before his imprisonment, conspired with Malakhia d'Zarnagon and was at odds with the Band of the Fox. He was revived during the Day of the Damned and manipulated the amnesiac Haruko Mizushima for his own ends. He revealed his true identity during the Battle of Malperdy, helped kidnap Haruko's newborn twins and accompanied them to Shipwreck Cove where he antagonized Unithien Greyrain to unleash her magic against the wishes of his shady allies. Gilgamesh was thwarted by Marcus Sarillius, Rhett Lassiter and Varalia Earthhaven, and he was ultimately devoured by a sea serpent which suddenly attacked him when he was about to succeed in his ultimate goals of becoming the strongest warrior in existence. Gilgamesh later used the Eye of Thunder in Devilfish Strait to boost his dark spirit, revealing himself as a lich-in-the-making. However, before he could regain a physical form, retrieve the magic sword Dusk and destroy the people who had come to save Unithien, Gilgamesh was finally killed by Hiroki Hyuga who crushed his phylactery and banished the lich's spirit to the Land of the Dead. Biography Early Years Captain of the Guard Gilgamesh was born long before the current wars in the Land of the Living and grew into a mighty warrior who wielded the sword Durandal. While the world was still united as one continent, he ruled over the Kingdom of Barjassil on the edge of the landmass as one of the high-ranking officers in the Barjassil military. Although he answered to King Anshar and the Court of Judges and already held a respected position as the Captain of the Royal Guard, he grew more ambitious and secretly planned to depose Anshar and the Court of Judges so he could rule the kingdom as its new king. During his time as the Captain of the Royal Guard, he came to learn of a new arrival: a young woman named Haruko Mizushima who was to be King Anshar's new queen. Gilgamesh was instantly smitten by Haruko's beauty and planned to take her by force when a situation presented itself. He decided to bide his time because he couldn't risk the king's wrath just yet; he would kill him and take the girl when everything was in place, but not before. What Gilgamesh didn't realize at the time was that some of the feelings he had for Haruko were in fact manipulated by Haruko herself who hoped to use Gilgamesh's infatuation with her as a means to get closer to her goal, the Dragon Diamond. This manipulation of emotions would have far more severe consequences in the future than either of them knew at the time. Gilgamesh began collaborating with the mysterious Oracle, Malakhia d'Zarnagon, who promised him greater power than any mortal man had ever wielded before if he helped Malakhia get what he desired in return. When Haruko's schemes were revealed to the court of Barjassil thanks to the schemes of Gilgamesh and Malakhia, she escaped from the castle after giving birth to her daughter Midori Mizushima whom the court named Princess Xezbeth while they believed that the child was fathered by King Anshar, which actually wasn't the case as the father was none other than the Oracle who had plans for the child. Gilgamesh learned of Haruko's connection to the Band of the Fox, a notorious group of outlaws and how she had infiltrated the court to steal the king's valuable Dragon Diamond. Gilgamesh began a manhunt on the king's behalf, spending years to track down the thieves and Haruko who had become known as the Enchantress of the Spring. Dark Obsession Haruko reappeared in the castle of Barjassil five years after her escape, intent on taking her daughter but also the Dragon Diamond. Before she could escape with both, she was confronted by the Oracle but was saved by her comrade Katsutoshi Kobayashi. The Oracle struck a new deal with Gilgamesh, telling him that he could have Haruko once the Oracle had used her for a specific goal. Gilgamesh admired the Oracle's ambition and cunning and followed along but planned to betray him if an opportunity presented itself and once he'd master his new power. He was obsessed by Haruko's beauty and ruthlessness and wanted her for himself, so he eagerly accepted the Oracle's offer. Thanks to the Oracle's magic, he was now as strong as ten men and could feel dark power within...power which he would put to good use. Gilgamesh, the Oracle and their squad eventually managed to locate the Band of the Fox thanks to the Oracle's mole in the party, Koschei Dravaris, also known as Shark. They ambushed the thieves, and Shark aided them. The following battle was fierce, during which Katsutoshi injured Gilgamesh's face, giving him his distinctive scar. However, eventually Gilgamesh managed to corner Haruko and Katsutoshi, the surviving rogues, on a nearby hill. A surprising intervention of the gods Dionysus and Laverna turned the tide of the battle momentarily until the Oracle countered the gods' power with the Dragon Diamond by somehow channeling the magic within it. Gilgamesh didn't care for the specifics; all he wanted was Haruko's heart and Katsutoshi's head at the time. The magic in the diamond backfired, however, and ended up teleporting the Oracle away. While Shark fetched reinforcements, Gilgamesh tried to finish off Katsutoshi and finally claim Haruko for himself. Before he could do so, he saw the two entering strange crystals, after which bright light enveloped them. By the time Gilgamesh regained his senses, the pair was gone. Gilgamesh could do nothing but curse; he had failed to capture Haruko yet again and had been outmaneuvered by what he considered to be mere thieves. Descent into Madness Gilgamesh, angered by his humiliating defeat, travelled to Barjassil to make Anshar give Koschei the title of duke. He hoped to use the ambitious and treacherous thief for his own ends by making him owe him a favour after he'd helped him rise in the hierarchy. He also lied by claiming that Haruko and Katsutoshi had perished although he knew they were very much alive albeit in stasis within the crystals which had vanished; he didn't want the king to know about Haruko's survival because he wanted her all for himself. Although Gilgamesh tried to adjust to the life of being the captain of the guard and use his connections to Duke Dravaris for future schemes, but he didn't calculate that the dark powers the Oracle had granted him were getting out of control whether by accident or because the Oracle had deliberately set him up to fall once he'd be of no more use to him. As a result of his unnatural, dark powers that dwelt within his body which was slowly turning him into a lich, Gilgamesh slowly turned even more insane than he'd already been, and he finally snapped one day. He used his infernally magic-boosted powers to lay waste to Barjassil's capital. He may have lost Haruko and had been denied his revenge on Katsutoshi for wounding him, but in compensation he would rule over the capital, the kingdom and eventually the world. And once he was done, he'd use his new resources to locate Haruko even if it took his lifetime and beyond. The first people he faced were the Court of Judges, and he decided to slaughter the judges and their forces one by one, knowing the threat they posed to his plans for world domination. Once he was through with them, he'd direct his anger at the king next. During this time King Anshar, worried by the bloody power struggle between the judges and Gilgamesh, approached King Kagetsu I of Ancient Maar Sul and asked Maar Sul to annex Barjassil. After he had lost his sole heir Princess Xezbeth, he feared that either the psychopathic Gilgamesh or the scheming Court of Judges would bring ruin to the kingdom and his people. Kagetsu accepted Anshar's terms, and the annexation was successful. Maar Sul brought its Andain forces to end the violence in Barjassil. In revenge, Gilgamesh tracked dow and slew Anshar and was finally consumed by rage as his powers went out of control. A great battle was fought, but eventually Gilgamesh's dark power came to its limit, and he was cast out and was presumed to have perished. However, Gilgamesh had survived the Andain's assault thanks to the dark power which the Oracle had bestowed upon him, but that same power was also slowly driving him more and more insane while fueling his anger, and his body was severely injured. He lost all sense of reality and believed everything was centered around himself while he was in fact stranded on an isolated island in the north after he'd fallen into the sea. He spent time killing tribals on the island, out of Maar Sul's reach. He became the most dangerous individual on the island who wielded great power. During this phase of denial, he believed he actually reigned over the entire world as its king. Sealing the Destroyer A problem arose during Gilgamesh's reign on the island. Due to his tendency to kill any who he felt like killing, he accidentally removed any possible rivals from the island's tribes over the course of several years and had become known as the Destroyer among the people who lived in fear of him. Gilgamesh found he had nothing to challenge him for the rest of his reign. And worst of all, his dark powers had made the injuries he'd received in Barjassil worse, and he was slowly dying from them. Upon realizing this, he went to a well known Oracle in the region, and demanded a way to solve his predicament. The Oracle told him that, if there were no challengers in this generation, or the next, then the best course of action was to sleep until the world had brought forth great heroes in a time of need. Then, Gilgamesh would have all the challenges he would need. What Gilgamesh didn't know was that he had been tricked. The Oracle of the island and the tribals helped him seal himself so that they'd be spared from his wrath in the future; they couldn't kill him directly, so the next best alternative was to make sure he'd never bully anyone ever again. They estimated the crazed warrior would remain in stasis forever because only something extraordinary could set him free, but they knew that as long as the world remained as it was, Gilgamesh would never be freed. Following the Oracle's advice and oblivious to the woman's ulterior motives, Gilgamesh hid himself in a stone statue of himself and induced himself into stasis with magic, to endure until he would be awakened. Meanwhile a magic crystal formed around the statue, ensuring he'd remain asleep for a long time. The last thing that crossed his mind before losing consciousness was the image of Haruko and the goddess Laverna. To him Haruko was a goddess, the only one ruthless and beautiful enough to be the Queen by his side. Unbeknownst to Gilgamesh, his dreams would be realized in the future thanks to the magic which the Oracle of Barjassil had bestowed on him earlier and which the Oracle of the island wasn't aware of. Gilgamesh's magic had connected with Haruko's magic before Haruko's sealing, and thus his own sealing was now linked to hers. Whoever woke one of them up would eventually wake up the other one as well. Godslayer Era The Age of Emptiness Gilgamesh was still alive in stasis in the crystal ten years after the Cataclysm, and he dreamt of the time before his sealing. During the magical battle between Deshwitat Rudbich and Gloriana in Ravensworth, Gilgamesh was momentarily stirred by a familiar, almost demonic presence which made him wonder who the presence belonged to. However, the presence faded quickly, and Gilgamesh fell into a deep slumber once again, waiting for the time of his inevitable awakening. More info later. A Cry in the Dark More info later. Garden of Fear Aided by Kusotare and his crew, Gilgamesh ambushed Unithien and Varalia at the docks while the two were trying to flee from the Cove in the cover of the night. He threatened both women and told them to come with him, but Varalia refused and stood between him and Unithien. Tired of Varalia's attitude and wanting to teach her humility, Gilgamesh began attacking her while Kusotare and his crew tried to snatch Unithien. The battle fought between Gilgamesh and Varalia was fierce. Gilgamesh in his arrogance didn't use his full power and was content with toying with Varalia, which almost proved to be a mistake when Varalia proved herself to be a more skilled warrior than he had given her credit for. Gilgamesh was even beaten back on a few occasions and began to realize that Varalia was no pushover although he still didn't show her much respect because she was a woman and he considered all women inferior to men as warriors. Eventually Gilgamesh stopped fighting half-heartedly and put some effort into the battle, unleashing the dark magic within him. His sudden speed boost caught Varalia by surprise, and he brutalized the elfess with precise attacks, pummeling her to the ground and beating her body in front of Unithien. Although he enjoyed this savage act, it also served another purpose: agitating Unithien enough so she could unleash her uncontrollable magic again. Gilgamesh succeeded in doing just that when he taunted Unithien by throwing Varalia into the sea and letting the warrior drown. This was the last straw for Unithien who attacked Gilgamesh with her magic in desperation, exactly what Gilgamesh had wanted all along so he could add her power into his own. Susumu Kawamoto and others joined the fray with Susumu attempting to save Varalia while his companions attacked Kusotare's crew. Gilgamesh paid them no attention, instead focusing on taunting Unithien more so she could unleash even more magic. He was interrupted in this by the arrival of Marcus Sarillius and Sarillius's companion, Rhett Lassiter, who came to Unithien's aid. Gilgamesh was surprised by Marcus carrying Dusk and being free but still eagerly engaged the pair in combat, wanting to humiliate Marcus like he had done in their previous clash in Alent. However, Marcus was better prepared to face the golden warrior this time around. He and Rhett managed to defeat Gilgamesh after a brutal battle, and as a result Gilgamesh's spine was run through with a sword. Marcus walked over to the fallen Gilgamesh, giving him some words of wisdom, which Gilgamesh proceeded to ignore. All Gilgamesh wanted was to goad Unithien into killing him and thus leech more of her power which was all he cared about. He had lost all pretense of following orders; he was willing to get what he wanted right now even if it meant going against the wishes of his co-conspirators. Despite his spine being severed, Gilgamesh had already feasted on the magic unleashed by Unithien and used the combination of his dark magic and his sheer willpower to have his sword Durandal fly into his hand and change Dusk's colour while claiming that Dusk now recognized him as its new master. He then began choking Rhett while taunting Marcus's nobleness. Before he could kill Rhett, however, he was hit by a spell cast by Unithien who, despite trying to calm herself after Marcus's speech, had succumbed to rage when she had seen Rhett suffering. As a result of this attack Rhett was spared, and Gilgamesh was engulfed in dark flames. Unithien's spell was exactly the catalyst Gilgamesh had been waiting for, though. Using it to fuel his power, he stood up and faced Marcus and Rhett who were taken by surprise and terror by this new, inhuman feat. Gilgamesh mocked them, telling them that he was the Andain son of Nergal who all would bow down to, and he proceeded to strike down Marcus and Rhett and then reclaim Dusk and Unithien while leaving his pirate 'allies' to perish in the hands of the pirates still loyal to Kuro Tori. While Gilgamesh was gloating and about to utterly destroy his opponents, he didn't pay attention to his surroundings and was thus caught by surprise when a sea serpent suddenly attacked from the water of the harbor, crashing through the pier and swallowing the surprised warrior whole. Ironically a man who considered himself a force of nature had finally been defeated by a creature of the wild. Final Showdown More info later. Death Just as Gilgamesh was about to succeed in leeching life off his enemies and snatching Dusk for himself, he was stopped by Hiroki Hyuga who, much to the lich's surprise, managed to resist the dark power. Hiroki crushed Gilgamesh's pendant, which acted as the lich's phylactery, and banished him to the Land of the Dead as revenge for having tried to lay a hand on his daughter Unithien. Gilgamesh's spirit, as it faded, was taken in by the Eye of Thunder which used it, Dusk and Unithien's Beacon magic from afar to finally shatter, releasing the entity within and ending Gilgamesh's threat once and for all. Aliases and Nicknames ; Destroyer : What people call Gilgamesh because of his apparent nigh-invulnerability and appetite for destruction. ; "Irvin Finian" : Gilgamesh briefly took the identity of the real Irvin Finian in order to get close to Haruko in Hidefall without looking suspicious, but he discarded the disguise and revealed his true, scarred form to her when he no longer needed to pose as the shaman. However, even after he revealed his true form, he still kept the deception up by using the name Katsutoshi Kobayashi to further confuse Haruko. ; "Katsutoshi Kobayashi" : Ironically Gilgamesh took the identity of his most hated enemy, Haruko's husband Katsutoshi, after his revival in order to lull Haruko and the Fellowship of Hidefall into a false sense of security. It wasn't until the Battle of Malperdy that he finally stopped pretending and revealed his true identity as Gilgamesh, causing Haruko's breakdown as she realized she'd been tricked and the person she'd thought had been her husband was in fact one of her worst enemies. ; King of the World : What Gilgamesh likes to call himself. He also wants everyone else to call him their king too. Appearance Wore general, casual clothes when not in combat. While in combat, he wore a full plate armour the colour of gold. No helmet. 6"5' tall. Had a sword named Durandal. Personality and Traits Completely amoral, cared nothing for the feelings of others, only his own wants and desires. Believed himself to be superior to all others. Powers and Abilities A master swordsman whose body could endure a lot of pain and seemed to be immune to many venoms, or at least they had a delayed effect on him. He could use the shadows as a weapon and seemed to hold powers similar to demons and members of the Clergy of Nergal. He's unable to hold Dawn, an anti-War blade, as it burned him. Relationships Anshar Gilgamesh reluctantly served King Anshar of Barjassil as the captain of his guard. He planned to eventually usurp power from him and become king himself. At first Anshar didn't suspect anything, but once Gilgamesh lost his mind after Haruko's sealing and attacked the capital with his newfound powers, Anshar realized too late what a monster he'd held close by all along. Gilgamesh succeeded in slaying Anshar as he had always planned, but Anshar had outsmarted him by annexing his kingdom with Maar Sul by then, which allowed Maar Sulais forces to enter Barjassil and quell Gilgamesh's insurrection. Gilgamesh still sees himself as the rightful king of the world, a title he believes he inherited after he slew Anshar and took his crown for himself. Haruko Mizushima Over the time Haruko spent in the palace of Barjassil, Gilgamesh grew infatuated with her thanks to her beauty. Although Haruko was originally just manipulating Gilgamesh's feelings for her own sinister ends, she couldn't foresee how this obsession would end up shaping both of their lives for years to come. By the time Gilgamesh discovered how deceitful and ruthless Haruko really was, he ended up desiring her even more because he realized the two of them were alike and that she'd be the only one fit to be his queen. He still believes this but also likes to torment Haruko physically and psychologically to make her submit to him before he'll sleep with her. Haruko, on the other hand, despises Gilgamesh with all her heart although she's partially to blame for his obsession over her. Janus Todd Gilgamesh was initially spiteful towards Janus until Janus managed to sway him to his side after the battle in Hidefall. Although the two men never fully trusted each other and were scheming behind each other's backs, they nevertheless acknowledged that their alliance would be useful. Despite this, Gilgamesh was still willing to show his superiority, and Janus knew better than to challenge him directly, instead letting Gilgamesh believe that Gilgamesh was the one in charge when in reality he was being subtly manipulated by Janus. Katsutoshi Kobayashi Gilgamesh and Katsutoshi utterly despise each other as they both desire the same woman, Haruko. Gilgamesh received his infamous scar from Katsutoshi and has sworn to make him suffer for it. Katsutoshi hasn't forgiven Gilgamesh for hurting Haruko and has likewise sworn to make him pay for his crimes. The hatred the two have for one another is so great that they're willing to forget every other scheme they have in mind just to fight each other. Malakhia d'Zarnagon Malakhia and Gilgamesh teamed up for a common goal: capture Haruko and the Dragon Diamond. Gilgamesh followed along although he planned to betray Malakhia when an opportunity presented itself. What he didn't know was that Malakhia was planning the same thing and had already planned to do so long in advance. Their partnership came to an abrupt end when Malakhia was whisked away after the Dragon Diamond's power lashed out and made him and the diamond teleport away. Marcus Sarillius Gilgamesh saw Marcus unfit for being a king and kept taunting him during each of their confrontations. Marcus thought that Gilgamesh was just a bully and initially underestimated his power, which led to his defeat. Their second confrontation turned out to be just as violent and much more shocking when Gilgamesh showed how he had power over Dusk which no longer seemed to recognize Marcus as its master. Despite all this, Marcus kept fighting valiantly and was even willing to spare Gilgamesh if he repented, but Gilgamesh rejected each offer from Marcus, only wanting to make the king bow down to him. Raul Emmenson Although Raul viewed Gilgamesh--who was posing as Katsutoshi--as a bully, he tried to help bring him and Haruko together and have them make amends. However, when it turned out that "Katsutoshi" was not who he had said he was, Raul chose to retaliate and confronted the warrior while showing no fear, which annoyed Gilgamesh. Luckily for Raul, Gilgamesh got distracted by other opponents and thus lived to fight another day, but he would remember being fooled by the man in golden armor, which made him more careful from that moment on. Unithien Greyrain Gilgamesh saw Unithien as a lesser woman compared to Haruko but was nevertheless drawn to the power that dwelt within her. He planned to unleash her power and use it for his own purposes. Although Unithien was initially merely wary of Gilgamesh's presence, it was his act of nearly killing Varalia that unleashed Unithien's anger in full for the first time with almost disastrous results. Varalia Earthhaven Gilgamesh worked alongside Varalia in Alent and barely tolerated her as he saw her unfit to being a warrior as she was a woman. Varalia likewise never cared much for Gilgamesh, and her dislike turned into grim anger when Gilgamesh tried to stop her and Unithien from fleeing the Cove. After a fierce struggle where Varalia managed to prove to Gilgamesh that women were no pushovers as warriors, she was still ultimately beaten by Gilgamesh who refused to acknowledge her skills. Gilgamesh ended up brutally mauling Varalia and let her drown as he didn't consider her an asset to the plan anymore and because he wanted to use her to drive Unithien into being consumed by mana. Gilgamesh's attack left its mark on Varalia who barely survived, and his shadow would live on in her memories. See also *Anshar *Band of the Fox *Barjassil *Durandal *Malakhia d'Zarnagon *Tizheruk Category:Characters from Barjassil Category:Characters from Libaterra Category:Fellowship of Hidefall Category:First Age characters Category:Humans Category:Third Age characters